Ontario’s problem not rooted in Alberta Oil Sands
NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington – Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2012
Ontario’s problem not rooted in Alberta Oil Sands
MPP Arnott takes issue with Premier’s comments
(Queen’s Park) – Earlier this week, in an attempt to evade responsibility for Ontario’s economic
woes, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty blamed the Alberta oil sands for driving up the Canadian
dollar and decimating Ontario’s manufacturing sector.
According to published reports, McGuinty stated that “If I had my preference, whether we had a
rapidly growing oil and gas sector in Western Canada or a lower dollar benefitting Ontario, I’ll tell
you where I stand – with a lower dollar.”
Those comments did not sit well with Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.
In a Member’s Statement in the Ontario Legislature on March 1, Mr. Arnott, the PC Critic to the
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, said that the Premier’s statements reflect a misunderstanding
of the reality of today’s Canada.
“This is not a competition between provinces,” Mr. Arnott said afterward. “We are all in this together.
A return to economic prosperity in Ontario does not have to come at the expense of Alberta’s oil
industry.”
In fact, the Premier’s comments overlook the spinoff benefits to the Ontario economy. Almost 300
Ontario companies supply or manufacture equipment for the oil sands. A study by the Canadian
Energy Research Institute estimates that the oil sands will generate $63 billion in economic activity
and 65,520 jobs in Ontario in coming years.
Jayson Myers, a former Fergus resident and President & CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers &
Exporters Association, was quoted in today’s Globe and Mail saying that the Premier’s analysis is off
the mark: “Frankly, the big problem over the last three or four years has not been the high dollar
because companies can adjust to it. The big problem has been the collapse of demand in the
United States…”
“The Premier’s comments are extremely unhelpful and will only serve to damage relations with the
Alberta Government,” argued Mr. Arnott afterwards. “Premiers like John Robarts, William Davis,
and David Peterson recognized Ontario’s obligation to provide no only provincial leadership, but
national leadership as well.”
However, instead of casting around wildly for someone to blame, the Premier needs to take a look in
the mirror and provide some leadership, Mr. Arnott contends.
“Where was the Premier in 2006 when I repeatedly called for committee hearings on the
competitiveness of our manufacturing sector, with a view to developing strategies to support
manufacturing?” he asked in the Legislature.
(Below: Member’s Statement delivered in the Ontario Legislature by Wellington-Halton Hills MPP
Ted Arnott on March 1, 2012)
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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington – Halton Hills
Text of Mr. Arnott’s Member’s Statement on March 1, 2012
I rise this afternoon as our Party’s Critic to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, to point out the
folly of the Premier’s regrettable statements this week, which have strained our relations with the
Province of Alberta, and indeed all of western Canada.
According to published reports, the Premier suggested our Canadian currency is a quote “petro
dollar,” and that he favours scaling back the development of the oil and gas industry in the West.
These comments overlook the fact that there are almost 300 Ontario companies that supply or
manufacture equipment to the oil patch. What’s more, the Canadian Energy Research Institute
projects the oil sands will generate $63 billion in economic activity and 65,520 jobs in Ontario in the
coming years.
Premier McGuinty has correctly observed that a Canadian dollar trading at par with the U.S. dollar
represents a competitive challenge.
But today, Jayson Myers of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters indicated that the biggest
challenge is the drop in US demand; not a Canadian dollar trading close to par.
And where was the Premier in 2006, when I repeatedly called for committee hearings on the
competitiveness of our manufacturing sector, with a view to developing strategies to support
manufacturing?
He was oblivious, even as more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs evaporated. During his tenure, we
became a “have not” province, his excessive spending threatens our credit rating, and the prosperity
of future generations.
If the Premier is unwilling to provide the kind of leadership we need today, he needs to contemplate
his future. And he needs to apologize to our fellow Canadians in the West.